Frequently Asked Questions

About our changes at McClatchyDC.com

Question: Why change?

A: Our main goal for the new redesign has been to make the site easier to use and less cluttered, while still providing all the information you expect to find. We focused especially on highlighting the independent, enterprising journalism you expect from McClatchy's Washington Bureau. You should also immediately notice that the speed of the site has improved.

Q: Am I going to get used to this only to have you change it again?

A: This is the first version of our new site, and we do expect to add features and enhancements in the weeks and months ahead.

Q: Will I need to register again for newsletters?

A: No. Your existing username and password have been carried over to the new site. We are also offering new newsletter options, which you can subscribe to here.

Q: I can't find something because it's not where I'm used to seeing it. What do I do?

One of the improvements on the new site is a stronger, more efficient search function. You can go to the search box at the top of the site and type in a name or description for what you're trying to find. You can also click on the "Site Map" in the line of links at the bottom of each page. The site map is a list of sections and pages on the site.

Q. What are the primary sections of this new site?

A: As listed in the blue bar near the top, our primary sections are Nation, World and Politics. We also offer Editorial Cartoons.

Q: How do I find photo galleries and video?

A: Our most recent photo or video galleries will be featured on the home page and on many pages of our site. You can find them labeled "Top Photos & Videos," and can hit the blue arrow to page through up to 20 different galleries. To find all the galleries published to a particular section, add "/galleries" to the url – for example, "http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/galleries" will show all galleries in the news sections. Similarly, you can see a collection of videos by adding "/video" to the url – http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/video/."

Q: I have my favorite sections or pages on your site bookmarked. Will those bookmarks still work?

A: Yes, they should. We did remove some redundant sections, so if you have a problem finding something, please use the Search box (with the magnifying glass icon) at the top of every page.

Q: How do I find what other people are reading?

A: A list of the "Trending Stories" of the day can be found on the right side of most pages on the site.

Q: I'm using an older browser. Will that make a difference in what the site looks like to me?

A: You'll have the best experience on our site by using Firefox 21 and above, Internet Explorer 8 and above, Chrome 27 and above and Safari 6.05 and above.

Q: How do I make a suggestion, offer a comment or ask a question about the new site?

A: Please go to our Contact Us page and give us your feedback using the form there.

Q: I can "like" a story on other sites and have it show up on my Facebook page. What about here?

A: Yes. When you are on a story or gallery page, a Facebook "Recommend" button is located just beneath the headline. You can click on that and recommend the story on Facebook.

Q: Can I still comment on articles?

A: Yes. In fact, you can now comment on photos and videos as well. Before you comment, familiarize yourself with our commenting guidelines, which are designed to foster valuable discussion and debate: Please keep your comment civil, short and to the point. Obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. If you find a comment abusive or inappropriate, please flag it for the moderator by following the instructions below.

About Facebook commenting

We're using Facebook Comments to improve the environment for conversation and to make it easy to comment on stories and share them with your friends.

Q. Do I need to have a Facebook account to comment?

A: Yes, you need to have an active Facebook account to comment. If you don't have a Facebook account, you will be prompted to sign up for one when you try to post a comment on our website. You can also get one at www.facebook.com. Once you've signed up with Facebook, you must add a profile photo and be connected with at least four friends before you will be able to easily comment and share stories. Your comments may only be visible to you and your friends for the first few days after you sign up.

Q: What if I don't want to participate in Facebook?

A: Only Facebook users will now be allowed to post comments on our articles.

Q: Will Facebook be monitoring the comments now?

A: No, Facebook does not moderate comments.

Q: Are we being paid by Facebook to do this?

A: No.

Q: How do I sign in through the article?

A: After you enter your comment, when you click on Comment, a pop-up window will appear asking you to sign-in via Facebook.

If you do not see the pop-up window after you click on Comment, make sure that you have your pop-up blocker turned off.

If you are already signed-in to Facebook on your computer or device, you won't be asked to sign-in. You can simply post your comment.

Q: Why does my Facebook profile picture and name appear on the comments page when I haven't even posted a comment?

A: If you're signed in at Facebook.com, your information will appear, but it is not visible to anyone else until your comment is published.

Q: Will all my comments be posted to my Facebook page so everyone can see it?

A: Not necessarily. When you start to write a comment, you'll be given the option to post to Facebook. All you have to do is uncheck that box, and your comment will not be shown on your Facebook page.

Q: Can other people commenting see my personal information, e-mail, location, etc.?

A: What others see when they click on your name or picture on our site is determined by your Facebook privacy settings. Those settings allow you to decide how much information you want to share with your friends or others. To adjust your Facebook privacy settings, visit: www.facebook.com/help/privacy.

Q: How do I report an inappropriate or abusive comment?

A: Hover over the upper right corner of the comment until an "X" appears. Then click the "X" and choose one of the options to report a comment as spam or abuse. The comment will be removed from your view. Facebook does track abuse reports and automatically bans users who are consistently abusive.

Q: Why can't I see the comments?

A: Comments on this site are public, which means anyone logged in or out of Facebook should be able to view them. If you cannot see the comments, please check with your IT department. Some government agencies and other employers block Facebook domains and applications from their servers.

A: We look for real names, some kind of picture, and enough information on it to convince us you are a real person. Whether you do anything else with your Facebook account other than using it to log in to our site is entirely up to you.

Q: Do I have to use my own photo?

A: No, you can pick whatever else best expresses yourself as your photo. The photo shown is the main photo on your Facebook account page.

Q: What is a Top Commenter and how do I become one?

A: Facebook automatically assigns The Top Commenter badge to users whose comments are most often "Liked" by others. To earn the Top Commenter badge, keep doing what you're doing: being civil and respectful, respecting other viewpoints and following the Conversation Guidelines.